The surname Seligman is a ancient German name that originated in the Rhineland. While the Germans at first used only one name, population increases created confusion among people of the same name, forcing them to adopt hereditary surnames. Two common types of German names are patronymic names, taken from the given name of the father, and metronymic names, taken from the name of the mother. Seligman was derived from the baptismal name for the son of Selig, which originated as a pet form of several German personal names, including Salger, Salafrid and Selibrand.

Seligman Early Origins

The surname Seligman was first found in the Rhineland, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this Prussian territory an important factor in the development of the nation. The literal meaning of this name in its mediaeval context was "happy" or "cheerful." Ancient chronicles first mention a bearer of this name, one Godefrid Selicheit of the ancient imperial city of Worms, around 1196.

Seligman Spelling Variations

Seligman Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Seligman include Selig, Seliger (Silesia), Seelig, Seeliger, Seelinger, Zelig, Seliche, Solige, Selege, Selik, Selich, Zelich, Zelik, Selligman, Seligman, Seligmann, Selichman and many more.

Seligman Early History

Seligman Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seligman research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1196, 1365, 1370, and 1464 are included under the topic Early Seligman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seligman Early Notables (pre 1700)

Seligman Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 23 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Seligman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Seligman, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

The Seligman Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Seligman Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.